Black Death

Black Death - Page Text Content

S: A tale of three victims of the black plague

BC: About the Authors | Julia Leschinsky lives in Macungie,PA and goes to Eyer Middle School. Julia enjoys volleyball, swimming, and playing the piano. She loves reading the Twilight series. Some of her hobbies include swimming, biking, and art. Her favorite subjects in school are Math and science. Julia enjoys hanging out with her siblings and cousins as seen in the photo above. (Julia, Genevie, Michael, Sara, Jaquelyn, and Isabelle.) Julia's favorite thing to do with friends is bowling, rollerskating, or seeing movies. | Rileigh O'Brien | Rileigh O'Brien lives in Zionsville, PA and goes to Eyer Middle School. Rileigh enjoys singing, soccer, and volleyball. She loves to read books by Rick Riordan. Her hobbies are vocal ensemble, chorus, and just being active. her favorite subject in school is math and science. Rileigh enjoys hanging out with her family and friends. As seen in the picture above. | Julia Leschinsky

2: May 13, 1349 | Dear Diary, Usually, every morning I would get up in England and go to work as a labor but today is different. I fear I might have been exposed to thy Black Death. Yesterday I was feeling okay, but I had a slight fever. Today when I woke up I had an intense desire to sleep, muscular pains, and my fever is high. I have locked myself in my room and I am avoiding all people that try to come in contact with me. I fear that if I indeed do have thy devilish black death, that I will pass it on to my family. Why should they all die instead of just me?

3: May 14, 1349 Dear Diary, Today I am feeling weaker. I am constantly vomiting, and it is getting harder and harder to breath, For all I taste and smell is blood. Huge bumps are appearing on my armpits. They are swollen and they hurt very much. as I look down this very second I can see a new lump appearing on my leg. It's been heartbreaking not being able to see my family, and my new born baby. I got a note slipped under the door saying that my baby died last night, because his nervous system collapsed. he never had a chance, he died within one hour. I should have known, it's all my fault. It wont matter much anymore though because my life will soon end.

4: May 14, 1349 It will soon be time for me to leave this world. My nervous system will soon collapse and i will perish to exist. So to everyone out there that i know and love do not grieve over my death, and try to remember all the good times we had together. I love you all.....goodbye!

5: May 15, 1349 | My beloved wife, I miss you dearly. I have been crying every moment of everyday. All I do now is think of you and stair out the window, I will be with you soon my love, for I have gotten struck with the black plague. I know I will die any day now, so why not now. The sooner I can be with you the better. I have chosen the easiest way to go, which is stabbing my heat with a knife. That is what has been broken all along. I will be with you soon enough my love.

6: The Diary of Annie Smith

7: June 13, 1348 It all started that dreadful day when a ship came into the harbor. Everyone went to see the ship, even the king and queen. I was wondering what was going on when everyone made a gasping noise.... half the men on the ship were dead. Right now I'm 8 and 3 quarters, you can't forget the 3 quarters!! Things have been very weird lately. Everyone has been acting a bit strange. Things aren't the same as they used to be. Mommy is always washing and cleaning but she won't tell me why. People always leave and never coming back, mommy says they moved somewhere else and that they are in a better place. I always see people burying long slim black boxes. It's also been smelling real nasty lately, maybe it has to do with those things in the boxes!

8: June 14,1348 My hand really hurts!!!! I got bit by a stupid black rat, and I think it had fleas. Mommy swatted it with the broom and rushed over to me. She kept kissing me and praying to god. It really scared me at how she reacted. I'm stuck in bed waiting for the doctor to come and check on me. When he left he didn't look to happy. mommy came in my room and hugged me and kissed me so much I could barley breath. She looked so happy, and I asked her why the doctor had to check on me. She said it was just about a little thing that is going around town. Later that day I found out that it was called the Black Death, and that I could have died from it if I got it.

9: June 15, 1348 My sweet daughter... Oh, how I loved you so much. You were my life. it is funny to think of how I reacted when you got bitten, but how when you got bitten a second time when you were 10 the Black Plague didn't even cross my mind as something that could harm you. Once you got bitten the second time you slowly got worse and worse... after a few days you died. But remember this, iI will always love you. You were the best thing that happened to me!

10: The Diary of Samantha Friz

11: Dear Diary, Today I worked on school work. I'm 13 and in the 8th grade. I got home around 12 O'clock. They just build more schools around here. My teacher wasn't in school today. I overheard other teacher talking about how they are really going to miss someone and how they couldn't believe the disease had gotten to us. Then another teacher said, "What should we say when the kids start asking?" I thought when the kids start asking what? I guess it doesn't concern me much anyway. Then I went home and took care of my little brother who is four years old. He is a handful. My mother cooked dinner in our middle class house while my father worked in his office. After dinner my head felt blazing hot and my tongue felt like it was swelling up. Mother said it was probably just a cold and that it would pass by morning. As I lye awake in my bed I think to myself of what happened earlier today with my teacher. Why wasn't he there today? He never misses a day of school. And then out of nowhere comes a ferocious pain in my stomach. I scream in agony. Mother comes rushing next to my bed. She calls over to father. They are both examining me now. Father says, "Just what I thought. We shall fetch the doctor tomorrow." All I can see now is black. I await as death crawls closer closer by the second. | December 22,1350

12: Dear Diary, Last thing I remember is my mother dabbing my forehead with cold water. The rest is a blur. Despite the fact that I am stuck in bed with the flu all day, I still have to help decorate for the holidays. We don't have school today but I still can't get my teacher out of my head. The pain in my stomach is constantly coming back and I am vomiting nonstop. I now look at myself in the mirror for the first time in a week and I look TERRIBLE!!! My neck has big black bloches all over it. I just hope the virus will pass by Christmas. The doctor will be back later today to check up on me and see if I am taking my medicine. | December 23, 1350 | December 23, 1350 Evening | Dear Diary, Now there are huge lumps on my legs. They are swollen and bright red. The doctor finished examining me. He had to pop one of the big red lumps and black goo oozed out expediently. I threw up after that. The doctor had tears in his eyes as he examined me. I knew it was worse then just the flu. He told me I was a wonderful child and to never give up or stop fighting for dear life. I am so scared now. The doctor talked to my parents privately next. The horrible looks on their faces told me I was going to die for sure. My mother ran out crying and my father stayed talking to the doctor. All I could here is the doctor keep saying after each sentence "I'm so sorry, I'm soooo sorry!" My eyes got very teary after that. My brother came up to me and lye next to me. He kisses my cheek. A sharp pain reaches my ears as the doctor screamed to my brother to get away from me and that I am very contagious. Now what hurts most is my broken heart. How am I suppose to live with nobody around me? The doctor then left and my father walked about five feet away from my bed. He explained to me that I had a disease known as the black death and he explained all of the symptoms that came along with it. I asked him what the odds were of living and how long I had. He just answered I love you no matter what happens. I guess all I have is you now diary.

13: Dear Diary, Today I feel very lonely. It is Christmas Eve and I am spending it by myself. I only ever got sick once when I was three years old but by the next day I was back to normal. I am drinking urine as the doctor told me to for a treatment. It tastes worse then your own vomit. As bad as I feel right now, I can't help but noticing that the bumps are starting to get smaller but it might just be me hallucinating. My fever of 108 dropped down to 102 so maybe I am getting better. Maybe I am fighting off this disease better then I thought I was. I just hope I didn't pass the disease onto anyone else especially my brother. He hasn't even gotten a chance to live yet. He doesn't even know what life is yet. I can walk now with out every part of my body hurting now. The doctor stopped by again to see how I was doing today. He thinks I may have a chance of fighting this off and surviving. He said he has never seen such major recovery in one night. I am still very sick and contagious but there still may be a chance of recovery for me. Thats all I am looking for so that I can see my family again and go to school and see all my friends again. So far the only people I have gotten to see in the last few days is the doctor and parcialy my family. Oh how I miss everyone, mother, father, brother, my best friend Marie, and the old man who always says hi to me in the morning before school. It may all leave me and I might never get to see any of those people again. Why is life so cruel? Why must the innocent die so young? | December 24, 1350

14: Dear Diary, Today is Christmas. The doctor came in to check on me and he says he knows for sure I'll make a full recovery. I can see my family today. It is a miracle. I have been waiting for this moment it seems for a million years! I have butterflies in my stomach because I am so excited to finally see them again! First comes my little brother running through the door with a huge smile on his face calling my name. How I missed him with his cherry red cheeks, his bleach blond hair, and his smile that sparkles in the sunlight! Then came Mother and Father, who both look so happy with tears in their eyes holding a chocolate cake(Which is very rare to have in our town. We aren't the richest town out there.) My brother starts to sing happy birthday and we all start laughing. We all just went with what he was saying because we didn't want to let him know what was really going on. At his age he shouldn't have to endure what was happening to a large portion of the human race. My mother and father apologize for what seemed like abandoning me for the last day and a half. I told them I understood and I knew the risks they would have to take to see me and I wouldn't want them getting the ferocious disease. Although I didn't tell them how much pain I was in and the pain is still somewhat there. I know they already feel horrible for them. The last couple days have been hard on them cause they just haven't felt like good parents, and to cause them greater pain would break my heart. | December 25,1350

15: Dear Diary, It is the day after Christmas and there are scars left from all of the lumps. I am the happiest and luckiest person on earth. I survived the deathly disease, and I now get to go see my family and friends again. I never realized what I take for granted each day. Now that I know what its like living through the days where you just think to yourself, I might not be here tomorrow. Thats when I vowed to become a better person and not take all the little things in life for granted. I guess this is goodbye then diary. I'm sorry but I have people to talk to now. I will always look back at this and cherish the great luck that I have. Thank you for everything! With All My Sweat Love, Samantha Friz | December 26, 1350